My BEST tips for Displaying, Framing and Purchasing Art

My best tips for displaying, framing and purchasing art all in one helpful post! I wanted to make things easy for you and compile my favourite resources about growing your art collection in one place. I have collected my BEST tips and added them here for you! Learn how to frame your art, how to purchase art or get art commissioned and where to display your art in your home!

Deciding to Buy Art for the First Time?

Read this!

If you haven’t purchased art before there are 14 considerations you will want to make to decide which piece of art is right for you. You can read more HERE. If you would like to read more about art commissions or getting a piece of artwork commissioned by me - you can click here!

Unsure About Framing Art?

I can help with that. In this blog post I share about how to choose the right frame to display your artwork proudly in your home. See more HERE.

Not Sure Where to Hang Your Art?

I have added a list of 16 ideas of places to hang art in your home. I also give tips about hanging your art like choosing a gallery wall or hanging art as a pair in a diptych. Read the tips HERE.

Stop Wondering How to Display Art on a Shelf!

Learn how to style your shelf to display your art collection and other meaningful objects like framed family photos, souvenirs and more. Read more here!

Ready to start or expand your art collection for your home? You can check out my shop here!

Connect with me on social media by clicking on one of the icons below!

Brown Field 5

CA$110.00

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3 Steps to Painting Better Landscapes!

3 steps to painting better landscapes - you are on your way to becoming a better landscape painter! Remember you are on a journey and painting is a skill that takes time to develop! Painting landscapes can be difficult but I will show you my 3 steps for painting better landscapes and loads of acrylic painting tips! You’ve started acrylic painting. You’ve watched countless YouTube painting tutorials of sunsets and palm trees. You have tried painting landscapes but it just doesn’t seem to look good as the landscape paintings you have seen on Pinterest or instagram. Ready to learn how to improve your landscape painting? Let’s go!

Here is the help you have been waiting for!

It’s not as hard as it seems. You are only 3 steps away from painting better landscapes! These are also the 3 common mistakes I see beginner painters making in their landscape paintings.

3 Steps for Painting a Better Landscape

Step 1: Colour Mixing 

A grassy field is not the same colour of green. A cloud is not all white. Water is not the same shade of blue. This is the number one mistake I see beginner painters making is that they use the colours of paint straight from the tube. You need to mix your colours and you need to add a variety of colours to make your landscapes look more professional. I wrote a blog post all about colour mixing - you can read that here!

To see what I’m talking about -check out my video on colour mixing and mixing greens. In this video I show you how to mix a variety of greens and talk about where you should place certain greens to create a sense of perspective in your next landscape painting. 

Check out my FREE resource on mixing green and grey here!

Check out the Mixing Greens Video Here! 

Step 2: Try Again

Another mistake I see beginner painters making is that they finish a painting -usually based off a YouTube tutorial and then move on to the next. But you can learn a lot through spending time on your painting and slowing down. 

It’s not a race and there is no need to rush. You will never complete every painting YouTube tutorial out there! 

Take time and look at your painting. Wait til after the painting dries and ask yourself what does it need more of? What does it need less off? And make those changes. 

Sometimes I think it’s easy to forget that you can fix what you don’t like and try again. Acrylic painting is very forgiving; you can easily cover something up with more paint if you don’t like it.

This sounds obvious but the more you practice painting (especially painting the same thing) the easier it will be! 

Step 3: Experiment and Test 

This is the fun step. I’m sure you fell in love with acrylic painting because it’s fun and it allows you to play and be creative. It’s important to let loose. Keep learning new techniques that you will be able to pull from and use in future paintings you do. Again, you can watch a YouTube tutorial and copy every step exactly but that’s only one way of learning. INSTEAD pause the video and add your own ideas - make changes and play! Don’t see your ugly paintings as mistakes. See them as learning opportunities and go back to step two and TRY AGAIN! 

With any new skill you learn it does take time and practice. I know you probably crave those beautiful paintings you see online and keep wishing that ONE DAY you will be able to paint like that too. 

If you are interested in continuing to learn about acrylic painting and improving your skills with landscape painting you can check out more free resources like my YouTube Channel here! 

Click the image to download this FREE Guide for how you can improve your acrylic painting

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Quit Feeling Like a Starving Artist TODAY!

Quit feeling like a starving artist today by working on your artist mindset. Mindset work is an ongoing process but I want to help you quit feeling like a starving artist because I know it doesn’t feel good and it sucks to feel that way! Quitting to feel like a starving artist when you have been feeling that way for a long time is a very difficult task and it won’t be a quick and easy fix! Just remember we all start from somewhere. This idea that a contemporary artist can’t support themselves through their art is frustrating and this “starving artist” story has been around for A LONG TIME! But let’s get rid of it for once and for all! Okay?…

I’m sure you’ve heard this before…

•  “You can’t make money doing something you love”

• “You will never make it as an artist”

• “You can’t make money as an artist”

• “Why don’t you get a real job?”

• “Only dead artists make money!”

Are you done feeling small? Hiding your art? Feeling like a failure?

The starving artist is a narrative that is drilled into our brains.

Enough is enough!

The number one trick to being a successful artist is working on your mindset. I believe this is true with any entrepreneur - you need to have a positive and healthy mindset. This is ongoing work that takes time and involves you to change how you think about things, how you see things and who you choose to listen to. 

So how do you work on your mindset to stop feeling like a starving artist? Read my 10 steps to quit feeling like a starving artist below!

Quit Feeling Like a Starving Artist - by following these tips!

Step 1:

You need to start thinking and feeling positive and successful in order to start believing. If you feel negative, like a failure, constantly thinking about how you don’t have art sales or exhibitions then that is the kind of energy you will attract. If you think negative, you feel negative and you  believe those negative thoughts to be true and that this is your reality. Thinking negatively becomes harder to change. So when you start thinking or feeling negatively about your art or your ability as an artist it is important to change those thoughts/feelings immediately.

Step 2: 

Be grateful. When you are talented and creative it is easy to take those abilities for granted. It is important to be grateful for your art talents, your business, your artwork and really remember why you became an artist in the first place. When you are passionate and excited you will keep at it and you will encounter your success.

Step 3:

Stick with it. It’s so easy to give up and say why bother? And I think that’s the difference between a successful artist and non-successful artist. As an artist you face a lot of rejection and a lot of criticism. It’s easy and normal to feel defeated. But your perseverance is what will pull you through!

Step 4: 

Consistency is key! Being a successful artist is about showing up consistently. Post consistently to social media like Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Share photos of your art- finished pieces, detail shots and work in progress. Start an email list and share an email to your members every week or every other! Create consistent routines for you like posting to social media every other day, one blog post a week, one email to your list every other week and then stick to those routines. When you follow a schedule for posting content you are seen as reliable and people can count on you when they have a question or will come when they are ready to buy. They will look forward to hearing from you when you establish a consistent schedule! 

Step 5:

Invest in yourself. As an artist you will need certain supplies. You need to invest in yourself and treat your art as a business in order to be successful. It’ s good to have a website where people can view your art and purchase it. You will need good clear photos of your work. Whether you have a camera and a tripod or you hire a photographer- great quality images are a must! You also probably need programs like Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop to edit and resize your images. You will need to spend money on art supplies, and materials you need for your practice. If you make videos for example you may need to invest in a better computer. Keep your receipts and speak to your accountant at the beginning of the year if you have any questions!

Step 6:

Reminders, affirmations and lists of achievements. Part of thinking positively and feeling positively is being reminded of what is possible. It’s helpful to post sticky notes with positive affirmations like, “ I am a successful artist” or “People love my work and are happy to pay for it.” These affirmations serve as visual reminders that can help build your confidence which will make it easier for you to feel and believe. When you feel confident it is easier for you to put yourself out there- to apply to exhibitions or to share your art and ask for a sale.

Step 7:

Know your worth. As an artist we are often promised exposure instead of money. While exposure is important you need to know when to say no. If you sell art on your website you need to consider your skills and expertise on the decisions you make for pricing your art. You can read more tips about pricing your art here! 

Step 8:

Know what makes you different. It can seem like there is a sea of artists. But it’s important to stay in your own lane. Focus on what makes you different or unique. Don’t copy someone’s art because it’s popular. Create and find your own style. Make art about what feels right to you. This is difficult and it will take time.

Step 9:

Practice and experiment. See your art practice as a journey. You won’t get overnight success. You need to practice and give yourself permission to experiment and test to see what works. You are allowed to change and grow. Remember that.

Step 10:

Get support and ask for help. Being an artist requires you to be many things like a writer, photographer, public speaker, marketer, social media expert, copywriter and more! Don’t expect to be perfect at everything and ask for help with someone with more expertise. Maybe you need to do research, read a book or invest in an online course. It’s also important to get support from friends and family. Ask people to like and comment on your posts. Invite people to look at your website. You don’t know what will happen if you never ask or put yourself out there. 

Too often as artists we are trapped in our heads or are constantly comparing ourselves to other artists. It’s important to follow these steps to help change your mindset from being a starving artist to a thriving artist!  Sometimes it helps just to start making art or to keep making art consistently. If you have been feeling uninspired lately - click here to read some tips that will help!

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Connect with me on Instagram @jackiepartridge_ and send me a DM if this resonated with you!

Want more tips - follow me on social media -by clicking on one of the icons below!

How To Add Freshness to a Stale Art Practice -Artist Tips

Want to know how to add freshness to a stale art practice? I will explain how. I know it can be difficult to make time for your art practice but it should be your top priority. Of course there are times where you won’t feel inspired like if you are sick or busy with other things. As an artist, I have found myself sometimes getting into ruts with my creativity. There are days, weeks and months where I don’t feel driven to make new art or I’m just too busy to be creative. Here’s how you can add some freshness to your art practice!

Does this sound familiar?

I have been busy lately planning an online art class that I am currently teaching for a private school. I have used my spare time to take on creative projects which has helped me to take care of my mental health. When you have taken a long break from your art practice it is easy to forget how beneficial art is in terms of being therapeutic, how it makes you feel and why you fell in love with it in the first place! I’ve made it a goal to try to make art or do something creative each day…

Bonus Tip: learn a new skill like ceramics to stay inspired to make art. Playing with clay and tools to try something new!

It’s important to add freshness to a stale art practice to help keep you inspired and making art more consistently! I have added 7 tips for you to try to feel creative again!

Here are some fun ways to get back to a creative process that might have been previously on hold:

• Get involved in a creative challenge or start your own— searching on Pinterest for creative art challenges is a good way to get inspiration. You can start your own based on your art practice. For example, if you are a quilter you could plan on making a certain number of quilts in a timeframe or if you’re a painter- plan on painting a small 8″x10″ painting everyday. Challenges work as fun goals to complete but they also act as a piece of accountability. Creative challenges can also be a good way to create social media content by updating your audience on what you are working on. As a creative it can be good to work on a series and challenges can help you to develop your own artistic style.  I send an exclusive painting tutorial to my mailing list every season - if you would like to receive that - enter your email at the bottom of this post!

• Look at application deadlines as motivation— I love looking on websites like Akimbo  -websites like this provide artists with deadlines of submission calls for exhibitions and awards. These deadlines, I find hold me accountable and I write them down in my agenda and apply when I have time.

• Reach out if someone wants a commission or make artwork for a friend or family member’s gift—This can be a good idea to make a little extra money or to have a project to work on. Sometimes, I find I just need a project to keep me busy. Making a gift for someone or a commission  gives me a due date to stick to. You can read more about my commission process here!

• Make a board on Pinterest for art inspiration or future project ideas— Pinterest is an amazing resource and I love pinning an idea that inspires me to try something similar with my own flair later on.  Check out my Pinterest boards here! 

• Take a look at your art supplies—reach for something new and experiment and play. Let yourself create without pressure - follow your intuition and do what’s fun! Also this might be a good time to head to the art supply store and pick up something new you have been dying to try! Take a look at my list of my favourite painting supplies here!

Bonus tip: turn to other passions like these plants or gardening to feel inspired again!

• Experiment and Learn— It’s so easy to learn new art techniques and there are so many free and incredible options out there! You can look on YouTube, invest in a course, or head to your local library.

I invite you to check out my YouTube channel all about acrylic painting for beginners. Learn to paint landscapes, flowers, new techniques and more! Simple options that are easy enough for kids to do too are also available!

Click the Image to Pin it for Later!

Bonus

Remind yourself why you love art and why it is so good for you. Does it calm you down, make you relaxed, is it fun or the highlight of the day? If yes, make sure you schedule time. Block off time on your calendar. Create a pop-up reminder on your phone. That way there’s less excuses and “more time” to be creative.

I have also found scheduling art to remove distractions like turning my cellphone on airplane mode to be helpful. Or make sure you studio/art space is clean and ready the night before. Even having a playlist of your favourite songs will get you pumped and ready to create.

I hope you can feel creative soon! I know how frustrating the feeling of not wanting to create can be.

For more tips and to receive an exclusive painting tutorial each season - sign up to join my mailing list below!

I challenge you to make something now - even if it is a simple doodle on a scrap piece of paper it is a step in the right direction!

Follow me on Pinterest for more ideas and resources!

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Want to Have a Piece of Art Commissioned By Me?

Want to have a piece of art commissioned by me? Read on to learn more about the process of getting a piece of art commissioned. As an artist I have been doing art commissions for friends, family and even people I don't know that well for several years.

Creating a successful art commission can be a lengthy process but I have come up with a list of tips to create a faster and more positive process for both the artist and the client. I have 7 things to consider if you are wanting to get an art commission done and 7 things for an artist to consider when offering art commissions.

As a client getting a piece of art commissioned

• Communicate what you want - be clear and specific if you have a vision in mind

• Trust your gut-if you don't feel comfortable with anything -then don't go ahead with it

• Ask for a price estimate if it is not provided to you

• Figure out the size of the work you want

• Figure out where you will put that piece of art -this can help determine the dimensions and also the style or colours you like - It is helpful for the artist to see a photograph of your space and know what you like (everyone has their own unique design style)

• Send inspiration  -whether it's a photograph, colour swatches or a sample of fabric for the curtains that will hang next to the artwork - anything is helpful

• Make sure you have done your research- Do you like the artist's work?

As an artist commissioning a piece of art I…

• Give a price estimate that includes the size of the work, materials used, any custom finishes that are requested and possible shipping charges

• Give an estimated deadline of when the piece will be finished-I take on 6 projects a year usually you will have a commission within 2 months -unless specified by yourself

• Communicate clearly and ask questions- we will have a meeting or exchange emails to make sure you are happy with the end result

• Create a sketch or mock up during the consultation process - see my ideas before committing - I will send you progress pictures if requested!

• I will ask for photos of the work hanging in your space

• I will send you a contract that explains payment and delivery of the artwork

Interested in Having a Piece of Art Commissioned By Me?

I am an artist based out of Waterloo Region, ON Canada- if you are interested in getting a piece of original art made please fill out the form below. I do art commissions for paper making and acrylic painting. My paintings range in price from $50 (5”x 7”)- $1000 + depending on the size. Handmade paper can be made as 5”x7” or 8”x10” and is anywhere from $25-100 per artwork. Shipping for large paintings over 20 inches will be paid by the customer and all other shipping in Canada and the US under 20 inches will be paid by myself. Please note I only take 6 commission projects per year. If I am full I will put you on my waitlist and I will email you with an estimated time when I can start your commission. I currently have 4 spots for year!

Get Ideas for Art Commissions for Me to Do

Check out my art shop for ideas of handmade paper art

Take a look at my YouTube for ideas of paintings

Fill out the form below to get in touch!

Think about the size of the art you would like and where you would like to hang it. Looking forward to working with you and filling an empty frame!

Black Eyed Susan Cyanotype 1

CA$50.00

How I Increased my Art Views on Pinterest by 200% (5 Tips)

How I increased my art views on Pinterest by 200% - if you are curious you will want to read on! I quadrupled my Pinterest views doing a few quick changes – here are my tips below! They are all very simple changes to make! By doing these easy changes I increased my art views on Pinterest by 200%! Learn from artist Jackie Partridge and check out my Pinterest here!

This content has been updated for Pinterest for 2023/2024.

First of all it is important to think of Pinterest as a search engine and not social media – people go on Pinterest to get inspired and look for particular things. People see pins in their feed based on key words they search for.

If you want to improve your Pinterest and that is one of your goals this year - click here for tips on achieving your goals as an artist here!

Tip 1 – Switch to a Business Account

If you have a business -switch to a business account to track how your pins are performing! Check out your analytics weekly to see which pins are popular and what needs improving. Try changing graphics, adding photos or plain text, choose different colours and fonts or ones that reflect your brand. You can even use pin templates online. You will also begin to notice what keywords are popular and when is a good time to post to Pinterest so more people see your pins!

Tip 2 – Use Key Words 

You need to use key words everywhere in titles, descriptions, file name of the photo and board descriptions. The more key words the more chances of people finding your pin. Do your research to plan what key words people might be searching for and that best describe your pin. Brainstorm and research your key words by making sure they describe what the pin and linked website are about.

Tip 3- Create High Quality Content

The first 5 pins you pin should be your own content and you should try to pin every day to attract more viewers and followers. You can pin from your website, blog, instagram and you can repurpose old content that was popular in the past. You can create new content using canva.com or choosing beautiful high quality images. Content that does well on Pinterest is DIYs, how to articles and tips and tricks. You can use your own photos or stock photography.

Tip 4- Pin to Reflect Your Target Audience 

If you are an artist you should definitely have a board dedicated to your own artwork. You should also be thinking of what your ideal customer might be interested in and create boards to reflect that. For example, does your ideal client have kids? Do they like home decor or cooking? You need to delete or hide pins that are irrelevant and delete pins where the link is broken. Keep your personal pins private as secret boards.

Tip 5- Play with New Features on Pinterest

Just like Instagram Pinterest favours new features in their search algorithm. You can try story pins, collection pins, video pins. You will probably see better results by playing around with them. It is also important to share FRESH content (new links and new graphics). I love using Canva to create my pin graphics. Pinterest also loves idea pins and video pins so make sure to use those too!

Related Articles to Help Your art business

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Pinterest is the number one way I drive traffic to my website! You can see my Pinterest profile here! to get more ideas! Follow me on Pinterest to see more helpful resources.